1. Field of the Invention
The present technology relates to robotic inspection of outer pipe surfaces and to movement of a robotic inspection device past obstacles connected to outer pipe surfaces.
2. Description of the Related Art
Pipelines extending over long distances across land or open terrain are inspected externally by both manual human inspection and internally by pipeline pigs and other in-pipe tools. There exist a number of systems for inspecting various types of pipelines, including oil and gas pipelines extending over land, underground, undersea, and over other terrain.
Pipeline inspection gauges (pigs) typically pass through a pipeline by a flow of fluid that pushes the pig. The pigs often contain instrumentation that inspects the internal surface of the pipeline. Pigs also are used to push sediment or other obstacles through the pipeline to keep the line clear. Ultrasonic and electro-magnetic sensors have seen use on pipeline pigs to develop images of internal pipeline surfaces over long distances. This data can be visually reviewed or analyzed by computer algorithms to detect pipeline damage or sediment build-up within a pipeline.